


And Her Name is Lilah

by flipflop_diva



Category: Hart of Dixie
Genre: Babies, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Post-Season/Series 03 Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 13:37:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1859988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipflop_diva/pseuds/flipflop_diva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the worst thunderstorm in years. The power is out. Her husband is gone. This is not quite the moment for the baby to come. Set sometime post 3.22. Spoilers for that episode.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And Her Name is Lilah

**Author's Note:**

  * For [APgeeksout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APgeeksout/gifts).



The baby was born at six thirteen on a stormy Wednesday morning as the wind howled outside and the rain slammed into buildings like it had a score to settle.

The power went out at four thirty-seven on the Tuesday afternoon prior after an intense bout of thunder that felt like it probably could have been heard states away.

The first pang of labor struck at four fifty-five that same Tuesday as though the baby were already punishing her for agreeing to let Tom go off with Lavon and George for a quick overnight camping trip.

“It’s three weeks till my due date. Don’t be silly,” Wanda had grinned when Tom first mentioned it. “I want you to have this boys’ trip before you’re stuck havin’ to take care of me and a newborn for months on end.”

“You know I can’t wait to be takin’ care of you,” Tom had said, and his eyes sparkled. “It’s all I ever wanted.”

Wanda had laughed and kissed him hard on the mouth. “We’ll be fine!” she said, grinning at him. “Go on now!”

At four fifty-six she decided that was the biggest regret of her life, and she wondered if she could deliver this baby herself if she had to — after all, she had helped their goat deliver its baby — or if maybe she could hold out till Tom returned, whenever that would be. He couldn’t be gone forever, right?

But at seven sixteen, the fear of having a baby alone and in the dark and with no one to call for help finally eased. 

That was when Rose Hattenbarger found her.

“Wanda?” she called, and Wanda heard her step into the dark hall. She had left the door unlocked, but that was no surprise. No one in Bluebell ever locked anything. The thought was just plain silly. “Are you here? My mom made some soup for me to bring you! She’s very handy with camping gear, you see, and … oh.”

Rose’s voice stopped right above her as she lay on the couch. Wanda opened her eyes and squinted. One tiny candle was the only light in the room. She couldn’t make out much more than Rose’s shadowy figure, but she knew that voice, and relief flooded through her.

“Rose!” she said gratefully. “Thank goodness you’re here! I’m in labor!”

Rose almost dropped the soup.

“Oh, no,” she said.

“Oh, yes,” Wanda said. “It is time.”

It was seven seventeen.

At seven forty-three, Annabeth Nass walked through the front door.

“Go get Dr. Hart!” Wanda had said to Rose earlier, and she had dashed out.

Now, Wanda groaned. “You’re not Dr. Hart.”

“I most certainly am not,” Annabeth said cheerfully. She had blankets in her arms or perhaps towels. It was hard to tell in the dark. “But it’s a bit of a mess out there, if you haven’t noticed, and while poor Rose runs around to find Zoe — hopefully she’s at the office because I’m not sure how we’ll find her if she’s not! — we thought it would not be good to leave you all alone and in labor. So here I am, your personal nursemaid for the time being.”

Annabeth paused to take a breath, cocking her head to the side to really get a good look at Wanda huffing a bit on the sofa. “How’re you doing?” Annabeth asked.

Wanda waited till the pain subsided and managed to shrug. “When I said I wanted a natural birth,” she said, “I wasn’t really thinking this. But it’s a good story to tell.”

Annabeth nodded. “It sure is!” she beamed, and she settled into to making sure Wanda was comfortable.

At ten oh five, the front door opened again and both Annabeth and Wanda looked up eagerly. The contractions were getting closer together, and the pain was getting more intense. Wanda was beginning to understand why epidurals were so darn popular with women these days.

Lemon appeared above Wanda’s head as she huffed and puffed from her still prone position.

“You’re not Zoe!” Annabeth said, taking the words from Wanda’s mouth.

“I most certainly am not!” Lemon huffed. “But do you really think I am going to let poor Wanda here go through this alone, when her dear Tom is out there galavanting around with Lavon and George Tucker!”

Even through the dark, Wanda saw Annabeth tip her head to the side. “I don’t really think they’re galavanting around,” Annabeth started, but Lemon waved a hand.

“That doesn’t matter now,” she said. “What matters is making sure you are comfortable.”

“But where’s Dr. Hart?” Wanda finally managed.

“How do I know?” Lemon said. “Do I look like her secretary?”

Another contraction hit, and Wanda groaned. “How did you know then?” she panted once she was able to catch her breath.

“Oh,” Lemon said. “Word gets around.”

“In a thunderstorm and a blackout?” Annabeth asked.

“Yes!” Lemon said, and the edge to her voice left no room for discussion. “Now are we going to sit around chatting or are we going to help poor Wanda here?”

By eleven forty-seven, Wanda was ready to kill both her nursemaids. She wasn’t sure if it was the hormones or the pain but one more person fussing over her was going to drive her insane.

Fortunately for Annabeth and Lemon — even though they didn’t know their lives were in such danger — the door flew open exactly a minute later and a drowned rat that looked a lot like Dr. Zoe Hart walked through the door with another drowned rat in the shape of Rose Hattenbarger.

“I’m so sorry!” Zoe said. She sounded out of breath. “You have no idea how crazy it is out there. And with no lights. And we were a little afraid to drive. And, oh, the stuff I have seen tonight. Did you know …”

“Zoe,” Lemon cut her off. She gestured to Wanda just as another burst of pain sliced through Wanda’s body.

“I think this baby is slicing me apart!” Wanda moaned.

“Oh, oh, oh.” Zoe hurried around the couch, her last train of thought completely forgotten by now. “Don’t you worry. We will get you taken care of.”

“Have you, errr, delivered, ughh, a baby?” Wanda breathed through the pain the way she and Tom had been taught at that baby class they had gone to in Mobile.

Zoe didn’t answer.

“Wait,” Lemon said. “You have birthed a baby before, haven’t you?”

“I’ve seen it!” Zoe said. “A lot. A lot a lot. It will be fine. How hard can it be?”

As it turned out, plenty hard. 

But none of that mattered, because at six thirteen in the morning, as thunder pounded relentlessly overheard, a little cry filled the living room of the Long residence, and Wanda’s eyes filled with tears.

“It’s a girl!” Zoe said, and Annabeth and Lemon cheered and Rose applauded and Wanda reached her arms out to hold her daughter for the first time.

At six twenty two, as Zoe snipped the umbilical cord, the door opened one more time and three very wet men flew in.

“Wanda!” Tom cried. “I knew I shouldn’t have lef-“

The words died out as his eyes made contact. First with his wife, and then with his tiny little daughter.

“Oh my god,” he choked.

“It’s a girl,” Wanda whispered, as the tears in her eyes finally spilled over. 

Tom reached for the baby, his hands stroking her soft skin.

“Does she have a name?” George asked. He and Lavon were dripping onto the carpet behind Tom.

“Lilah,” Wanda and Tom answered together. “Her name is Lilah.”


End file.
